Bears Swept By Maine

Providence, RI -
Maine got 21 runs off 25 hits in a two-game sweep over Brown on Wednesday, recording 12-4 and 11-2 victories over the Bears. The Black Bears allowed just one earned run in game one and shutout the Bears in the final six innings in game two. Junior Paul Christian went 3-7 at the plate while senior Matt Kutler moved closer to breaking Brown's all-time hits record with a 2-3 performance in game one. Brown, which had won its last six games, is now 11-13 on the season while Maine improves to 17-9.

Brown got a run on the board in its first at bat with an RBI single by Kutler that scored Christian, who reached on an infield single. Maine took control of the lead for good in the top of the second with a two-run shot by Joel Barrett and went on to take a 6-1 lead with four runs in the top of the third.

The Bears got their biggest run production in the bottom of the third with a pair of unearned runs but the Black Bears racked up six more runs in the fifth and sixth innings to break open the game, 12-3. Brown got one run in the bottom of the seventh off a sacrifice fly by Kutler, scoring sophomore Bryan Tews, who led-off the inning with a rip to center field.

Sophomore Ethan Silverstein suffered the loss on the mound to move to 2-2 on the year. In 4.0 innings he surrendered nine runs, six earned while striking out six. Kutler went 2-3 with a double, two runs driven in and a run scored. Contrino went 1-2 while senior Jeff Nichols went 1-3 with a double. Christian also went 1-3 with two runs scored.

In game two, Maine struck for three runs off three hits in the top of the first but Brown made it a one run game with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Christian got things rolling with a single to left field and advanced to second on a passed ball. Nichols then blasted a single to the shortstop while Christian was able to score off an errant throw to first base. Nichols rounded his way to third with the Black Bears making another throwing error on the play to home plate. Junior Eric Larson then brought home Nichols on a rocket up the middle for a 3-2 score.

Maine's Joe Hough hit a two out homerun in the top of the second to give the Black Bears a 4-2 edge while the next two innings went scoreless on both ends. Brown got the go ahead run at the plate in the fourth but could not convert, instead grounding into a double play to end the inning.

The Black Bears took a 6-2 lead in the top of the sixth with two outs off a pair of singles and a double and extended their lead to 11-2 with five runs in the sixth. Maine's John Tesseyman shutout the Bears in the final sixth innings while Scott Robinson came in to record the last out. Brown managed just two hits after the first inning.

Freshman Alex Silverman dropped to 1-1 on the season with the loss on the mound. In two innings he gave up four runs off four hits. Christian went 2-3 at the plate with a run scored while Nichols was 1-2 with a run scored and a run driven in. Larson recorded one hit in three at-bats with a run driven in and sophomore Robert Dykehouse tallied a pinch hit double.

Kutler is now two hits shy of becoming the Bear's all-time leader in hits with 227 for his career despite ending his hitting streak at 15 games in the night cap.

The Bears will open up Red Rolfe Division play this weekend when they travel to Dartmouth for a four-game series. Both doubleheaders are set to begin at 12 noon on Saturday and Sunday.